


All You Need Is Love

by dutchmoxie



Series: Enjonine Christmas week 2k15 [2]
Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: All You Need Is Love AU, Christmas Fluff, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Long-Distance Friendship, Online Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-15
Updated: 2015-12-15
Packaged: 2018-05-06 23:38:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5435108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dutchmoxie/pseuds/dutchmoxie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eponine finds two tickets to the recording of All You Need Is Love (the TV show) in the mail. Why would she want to celebrate lovers and families being reunited when she's just lost her brother?</p>
            </blockquote>





	All You Need Is Love

The tickets had arrived in a colorful envelope, with no mention of who had purchased them for her. Just two tickets to the studio recording of the stupid Christmas edition of All You Need Is Love.

Really, it was just what she needed during the holidays, to have someone rub her face in how lonely she was this time of year. To sit in the studio for the full what, three hours, of watching couples and families from all over the world reunite for the holidays. Having celebrity guests singing sappy Christmas songs and hearing messages of forgiveness at a time where she just wants to be with her brother again.

But that could never happen. Not even TV magic could bring back a child from the grave, and her holidays will forever be less merry without Gavroche.

And now that her only sister was actually married - shudder - she was going to third wheel her way through the holidays. Sure, Courf - as her brother in law preferred to be called - was a decent sort of fellow, but that did not mean that Eponine was going to stand for all of the PDA that was always going on.

At least there were only two tickets, which meant that Azelma would have to join her without her husband. Yes, Eponine was fully aware that she had no friends and that it was all kinds of pathetic to have her younger sister as her date. But unless she went up to her old neighbor and begged him to pretend to be her date, she was stuck on this particular level of pathetic.

That’s what she told Gabe when they Skyped the night before the damn show - his stupid laptop webcam was fucking up again so she couldn’t see his face when she told him that she had these stupid tickets and now she had to go.

She had a feeling he was either laughing at her or completely understanding why she would rather not go. His response was just… Off, for some reason.

They talked until late, and Azelma made fun of her the next day for looking quote-unquote “homeless” for a TV recording. Not that Eponine gave a damn about that. She was just going to be one of the randoms in the audience - the cameras would just have to gloss over her, she thought.

Not that Azelma was ever going to accept that. Which meant Eponine spent most of the day in her sister’s apartment, having random outfits thrown at her to try on. The last hour before they had to leave was spent with various torture instruments used on her - “it’s called a lash curler Eponine, for fuck’s sake” - while Courf laughed at her from the next room.

They made it to the studio in time, with Azelma having stuffed her bag with tissues - she was a sympathetic crier, that dork.

The host was disgustingly perky, and the flight attendants singing “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” was as cheesy as ever. But then she got caught up in the show, in the stories of family members being reunited for a final Christmas together, in the tales of lovers seeing each other again after spending years apart.

She might have been crying about the cute lesbian couple who’d faced so much prejudice holding each other again. It was just… She had to sigh happily at that. At least some other people got to have their happy endings - it was not meant for her.

Next came some disgustingly happy video messages from people off the streets for their family members or significant others. Eponine figured that was the right time to fix the tear tracks that were trying to show on her face.

Until the world stopped and a blonde boy appeared on screen. His hair was mostly covered by a ratty old beanie, but his blue eyes shone brightly with mischief. She would know that face anywhere.

“Surprise,” he grinned. “This one’s for Zelma. I just want you to know that I love you, and that your stupid husband had better take care of you. I know things. Love you sis.”

Blindly grabbing for her sister’s hand, Eponine’s vision was clouded by tears. How could he - how was that possible? How did he - how? Why? How?

“I see that the lady in question is present tonight,” the perky male host rumbled. “Please come down and sit with me for a bit. Bring your sister.”

Azelma practically dragged Eponine down the stairs, and she was seconds away from making a fool of herself and falling on her face on national television. She recovered just in time and found herself sitting next to Azelma on a particularly comfortable couch, with a mic pushed in front of her face.

“So that was your little brother Gavroche,” the host smiled gently at her. “He had only lovely things to say about the both of you.”

He did? He joked with them, teased them, always complained when they ruffled his hair and treated him like the kid he was. Damn, he’d been only fourteen when the car… Fourteen years old and ready to take on the world.

“How?” she stammered. “When was this… How?”

But he never would take on the world.

“Our brother died recently,” Azelma took over talking duties. “You have no idea how much this means to us.”

The host was ever so sympathetic - he’d known. He’d known and he’d showed them this in front of a full studio audience anyway. Wow, must have been so good for ratings and shit.

Was that rude? That was rude. She couldn’t think.

“I am very sorry for your loss,” Robert - that was the host’s name - handed Azelma a tissue from the box in front of him.

Azelma gladly took it, fixing her makeup daintily. Eponine could do nothing but stare at the big screen, where Gavroche’s face was frozen in an impish smile. He was here for Christmas after all, only he wasn’t really.

“Now, Eponine,” the host directed his next words at her. “Your brother did not just record a message for your sister Azelma, he had something to say to you as well.”

There was nothing she could do but turn more fully to the screen, desperately wanting to hear what would be her brother’s last words to her.

“Ponine,” her brother’s image no longer frozen, “I bet you have no idea what I have planned for you. You can’t hide your dumb boyfriend from the best brother in the world. And I’m sure you’re gonna be all sad that he’s on the other side of the world for the holidays. Seriously, you two take this whole online dating thing to a whole new level. Stop using me as an excuse and snog him silly, will you? Love you, old woman.”

Old? That little… Oh, that boy, that stupid, stupid boy.

Wait, boyfriend? Boyfriend? She didn’t have a - oh. Oh no. Oh God. How did he know what the man in question was not even aware of? She had told no one. Her damn little brother had seen right through her.

“Gabriel, come on in,” Robert grinned happily in preparation for another great TV moment.

Eponine finally turned away from the screen to stare in the direction of the grand doors, that were now opening to reveal… Gabe. That shit.

The camera didn’t work her fine ass.

She did not run to him - Eponine Thenardier did not run into a man’s arms - but she damn well power walked. Because he was everything he appeared on grainy Skype chats and he was wearing a dorky Christmas sweater, his curls bouncing as he ran to her.

What a dork, this one.

“Hi,” she breathed when he reached her.

“Hi,” he was almost blushing. “I can’t believe I’m really here.”

His voice was even better in person, which just wasn’t fair. So she grabbed hold of him and finally got that warm hug that he’d been promising her for so very long. For a moment there, the cameras melted away and there was nothing but him, surrounding her with his warmth and making her feel safe for the first time in months.

“You’re really here,” she said it to herself as much as she said it to him.

She let go reluctantly, just wanting to keep him with her for a little while longer. For the first time, she could just reach out and touch the man who’d become her best friend and (hopefully) her future boyfriend over Tumblr and Skype and every kind of social media. For the first time, she could hold his big hand and feel how she’d have to stand on the very tips of her toes if she were to gather up the courage to kiss him.

“So, about that boyfriend comment,” he teased.

“Not while the entire country is watching,” she grinned happily, stretching and planting a kiss on his cheek.

“We’ve got a few weeks,” her dork was blushing, and she could reach out and tease him about it - it was the best thing ever.

“Thank you Gavroche,” she turned to the video screen where her brother’s image smiled down on her. “Thank you.”

It was surprisingly like the start of a happily ever after.

 


End file.
